Assessment of the Language Education Policy in Austria and its Fitness for Purpose within the European Union

Table of Contents

• INTRODUCTION
• LANGUAGE EDUCATION POLICY (LEP) AND MULTILINGUAL DIMENSIONS OF THE EU
• The beginnings of the EU LEP
• Towards an inclusive LEP
• Multilingualism in the EU and Austria: Key facts and figures
• BACKGROUND INFORMATION ON THE GEOGRAPHIC POSITION, POPULATION, LANGUAGES AND EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM OF AUSTRIA
• Geographic position of Austria
• Demographic data
• Languages used informally by the resident population of Austria
• Educational system
• LEP REGULATIONS AND PRACTICE FOR AUSTRIAN NATIONALS WITH GERMAN AS THEIR FIRST LANGUAGE AND NON-INDIGENOUS MINORITIES
• The present situation of (foreign) language learning in pre-school education (ISCED level 0)
• The present situation of (foreign) language learning in compulsory schooling (ISCED levels 1-2)
• The present situation of foreign language learning in post-compulsory schooling (ISCED level 3-3/4)
• LEGISLATIVE FRAMEWORK AND LEP REGULATIONS/PRACTICE FOR THE OFFICIALLY RECOGNISED AUTOCHTHONOUS ETHNIC GROUPS OF AUSTRIA
• Legislative framework governing ethnic groups and their languages in Austria
• LEP regulations for the officially recognised autochthonous ethnic groups of Austria
• The present situation of minority language learning in Carinthia
• The present situation of minority language learning in Burgenland
• Case Study - Language education of the Burgenland-Croatian ethnic group of Nikitsch
• The present situation of minority language learning in Styria and Vienna
• CONCLUSIONS

Objectives and Key Themes

This dissertation explores the language education policy (LEP) in Austria and its effectiveness within the European Union. It examines the historical development of the EU LEP, the current situation of multilingualism in Austria, and the specific regulations and practices governing language learning for both Austrian nationals and officially recognized ethnic groups.

• The evolution of the EU LEP
• The role of multilingualism in Austria
• LEP regulations and practice for Austrian nationals
• LEP regulations and practice for officially recognized ethnic groups
• The impact of LEP on minority language learning

Chapter Summaries

This dissertation examines the language education policy (LEP) in Austria, exploring its effectiveness within the European Union. It investigates the historical development of the EU LEP, analyzes the current state of multilingualism in Austria, and delves into the specific regulations and practices governing language learning for both Austrian nationals and recognized ethnic groups.

Chapter 2 explores the genesis of the EU LEP, its progression towards an inclusive policy, and the multifaceted nature of multilingualism within the EU and specifically Austria. This chapter lays the groundwork for understanding the context of the study.

Chapter 3 focuses on Austria, providing a detailed overview of its geographic position, demographics, language use, and education system. This background information is crucial for understanding the factors influencing the country's language education policy.

Chapter 4 investigates the LEP regulations and practices for Austrian nationals, particularly concerning the learning of foreign languages in preschool, compulsory, and post-compulsory schooling. This chapter examines the implementation of the policy for the majority population.

Chapter 5 delves into the legislative framework and LEP regulations for officially recognized ethnic groups in Austria. The chapter focuses on the situation of minority language learning in various regions, with a case study highlighting the language education of the Burgenland-Croatian ethnic group of Nikitsch.

Keywords

The core concepts and themes explored in this dissertation include language education policy, multilingualism, European Union, Austria, ethnic groups, minority languages, and the impact of policy on language learning.